DERRY AND DISTRICT LEAGUE

'The Derry and District League' is an amateur football league in Derry. The league includes youth and senior football teams. The Senior Sunday League has two divisions, the Premier and the First Division. The Youth Leagues have one league for each age group, from under-10 up to under-17. Teams such as Don Bosco's F.C. and Tristar Boys F.C. have numerous teams competing at every level. Other senior teams include Brandywell Harps F.C., Trojans F.C. and, in the First Division, Lisahally F.C. The league has witnessed a rise in popularity in recent years, and youth teams, such as Foyle Harps Y.F.C. and the Derry and District Youth Select have competed on an international level both in China and Spain respectively. There is also a Saturday Morning League operating in Derry. The League also sends youth teams to the Foyle Cup and in 2005 the under-16 team finished runners up in the competition, losing out to Ferencvaros. Many of the players in that team have since signed professional contracts. Ruari Harkin signed with Charlton and Danny Lafferty signed with Scottish giants, Celtic. Kevin Deery, Barry Molloy and Patrick McCourt are now Derry City players, after playing youth football in the league.

Contents

Current Teams

'Senior Sunday Morning League'

Premier Division

First Division

Youth Leagues

Youth Teams

Players to have played in the League

References

Current Teams

'Senior Sunday Morning League'

The Senior Sunday League of the Derry and District League features two divisions (Premier Division and First Division). The leagues include a number of sporting establishments, clubs and groups, including pub teams. In the past, the Derry and District FA had three divisions. Matches are played, as suggested on Sunday mornings.

Premier Division

★ Oxford United (Reserve Team)

★ Don Bosco's F.C.

★ Top of the Hill Celtic F.C.

★ Derry Rovers F.C.

★ Abercorn

★ Trojans F.C.

★ Porters F.C.

★ Crescent F.C.

★ Brandywell Harps F.C.

★ Celtic Swifts F.C.

First Division

★ Oxford Colts (Youth Team)

★ Three Flowers F.C.

★ Don Bosco's Youths

★ Carraig Harps F.C.

★ Metro F.C.

★ Lisahally F.C.

★ Culmore F.C.

★ Phoenix F.C.

★ Downey's F.C.

Youth Leagues

The Derry and District League's youth leagues feature countless teams from age groups Under-10 up until Under-17. The leagues are held in high regard by many who are associated with sport in Derry. Each year, a Derry and District League Select (in which the best players are selected from each team) appears in a number of different tournaments for example, the Foyle Cup. They also travel abroad to compete in tournaments across the globe, for example, in Spain, Denmark, Italy and England. In 2005, the youth team finished third in the Tivoli Cup in Denmark.^[1] In 2006 the Derry and District under-14 team travelled to Barcelona to challenge in the prestigious Copa Catalunya International Youth Tournament. They finished runners up. Foyle Harps travelled to China on an international relations trip. There, they visited places of cultural significance and played football against some of China's top youth teams. In 2004-5, Derry City F.C. pioneered an 'Academy' which was primarily made up of players from the Derry and District League.

Youth Teams

The following is a list of teams who either have youth football teams or operate solely as a youth team.

★ Ballymoor F.C.

★ Culmore F.C.

★ Don Bosco's F.C.

★ Eglinton Eagles F.C.

★ Foyle Harps Y.F.C.

★ Newtown Y.F.C.

★ Oxford United

★ Top of the Hill Celtic F.C.

★ Tristar Boys F.C.

★ Trojans F.C.

Players to have played in the League

The Derry and District League has produced and featured many fine footballers in the past. It serves to accommodate players who wish to further their footballing skills and possibly catch the eye of a scout. However, it also features senior players who have retired from professional football and wish to play merely for the fun of playing and to keep fit.

★ Seamus Browne

★ David Campbell

★ Michael Carroll

★ Liam Coyle

★ Kevin Deery

★ Matt Doherty Jr.

★ Gary Fleming

★ Darron Gibson

★ Ruari Harkin

★ Ruaidhri Higgins

★ Jimmy Kelly

★ Paul King

★ Danny Lafferty

★ Harry McCourt

★ Patrick McCourt

★ Barry Molloy

★ Sam Morrow

★ Lawrence Mullan

★ David Ogilby

References

1. List of Winners - Tivoli Cup retrieved 19 June 2007